Out Of The Shadows

Selene’s POV

“Mama…” Aeris whispered in her sleep, turning her head slightly towards me, her small hands were shaking, and for a second I saw something unnatural ripple through her skin—something that didn’t belong.

She was already burning up again, her cheeks flushed with a fever that refused to break, no matter how many wet clothes I pressed to her forehead or how many herbs I poured down her throat.

It’s been three years since we’ve been hiding in this cabin, it was too quiet—too still. The birds had stopped singing three days ago, as though the forest itself knew something was wrong.

I staggered back, my heart pounding in my chest. “I can’t wait any longer,” I whispered, clutching Aerie tighter against my chest as she whimpered, her feverish skin burning my arms.

“She’s not getting better…”

Aeris let out a small, strangled cry, and that was it. I couldn’t stay here any longer, I wrapped her tightly in the thinnest blanket I could find and rustled out from the cabin. I had to go find Kaelen, he would help me.

He had to help me.

The ride into the Silver Fang territory was a blur of trees and shadows. Aeris was still wrapped in my arms, while I whispered soft lullabies against her damp curls. This was it, the moment we stepped into the heart of the pack, I knew we were no longer invisible.

They were all there, dozens of them. Warriors, elders, members of the pack. They stood at the steps of the main house like statues, their brows raised in confusion, some in disbelief, some already judging me.

“Who is she…?”

A murmur rippled through the crowd like smoke. “Why’s this strange woman here? 

“And the child…?”

But I didn’t care about all that. “Where’s Kaelen?” I demanded as I reached the steps. One of the guards—a tall male with cold blue eyes stepped forward, blocking my path before I could go further..

“He’s not here,” the guard said slowly, studying me like I was a ghost returning from the grave. “Why the hell are you looking for him?”

I shifted my weight, feeling the weakness in my knees. “I need to see him. My daughter… She's sick. I wouldn’t come if I weren’t desperate.” Another murmur shot through the crowd behind me. 

“Whose child is that?”

“Is it his?”

My arms curled protectively around Aeris. “Please…just tell him I came. Tell him we need him.” The murmurs grew louder, sharper—cutting through the air like daggers made of judgment.

My arms curled tighter around Aeris, her fever burning through the thin fabric between us. Her breathing was shallow, weak. She needed help, not gossip. Not this.

“I said,” I forced out, barely keeping the fear in my voice, “please. Just tell Kaelen I’m here.” A scoff broke through the crowd. 

“She shouldn’t even be here,” a female wolf growled. I turned just in time to see a tall, dark-haired enforcer step out from the crowd, her golden eyes staring down at me.

“He must have hidden her for a reason. Now she walks in like she belongs here?”

“She smells like an outsider,” another spat. “A rogue. There’s no way Kaelen would have something to do with her.” 

One of the guards curled his lips in hesitation, but he didn’t move to stop them as more wolves circled me, some baring their teeth, others reaching for my arm.

“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, stepping back, shielding Aeris with my entire body. “She’s just a child!”

“She’s a threat,” the she-wolf hissed. “You both are.”

“She’s not even marked—how do we know you’re not a spy sent to destroy us?” another voice added cruelly.

Hands gripped me from behind, claws flashing—threatening to rip me into shreds. My legs nearly gave out, my heart thundering in my chest. Aeris whimpered, her small fingers gripping my shirt in her feverish haze.

“Back off!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “Kaelen will hear about this! He won’t let you touch her!” But the mob didn’t care. They circled even tighter around me.

Until—

A huge growl split the air, it wasn't human. But from the sound of it, I already knew who it was. Only he had that kind of growl that made the earth feel like it would rip open under my feet.

Every head immediately turned towards the source. It was Kaelen. He stood at the edge of the courtyard, soaked from rain, his black coat whipping in the wind.

His eyes were merciless—glowing, locked on the wolves surrounding me, and in that moment, the entire pack went still. Deadly still. 

He moved like a shadow, quick, smooth, and terrifying. Within seconds, he was in front of me, standing between me and everyone else. His body was raging with anger.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His voice was low, but it rolled like thunder. But no one dared answer. Kaelen scanned the crowd, his expression cold, lethal. 

“Is this what Silver Fang has become? A pack that turns on a mother and child?”

“She shouldn’t be here,” someone muttered from the back. “You kept her hidden. What were we supposed to think?”

“No one is supposed to question anything I do!!” He growled, nothing funny about the tone of his voice. He turned slightly, just enough to look over his shoulder at me. 

Our eyes met for a fleeting moment—his jaw clenched, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Then he faced the crowd again.

“She is under my protection,” he said, his voice ringing with authority. “And yes, this is my child. Anyone who dares speak against them—touch them or come near their direction…”

His power surged, his aura expanding like a storm cloud, choking the air. Several wolves dropped their eyes and bowed, unable to withstand the weight of it.

“Anyone who dares oppose me will face my wrath.” Kaelen stepped forward, and the crowd began to part like water before a storm. Some bowed, while some backed away in silence, but no one dared challenge him now.

“Get out of my sight,” he commanded. And just like that, they scattered. Silence returned to the courtyard, broken only by the soft whimpering of Aeris in my arms.

Kaelen turned to face me slowly, his expression still hard, but now laced with something else—concern… desperation.

“Selene,” Kaelen breathed, his eyes flickering between me and Aeris. Rain dripped from his hair, but he didn’t seem to notice. 

“I told you to stay hidden!”

“Why did you fucking come out?”

I stiffened. “I didn’t have a choice.”His brows furrowed, tension coming off him like lightning. “You could’ve sent a message. Anything. Do you realize what you’ve done? If they figure out who she is…..

“Who are you….”

“She’s dying, Kaelen!” I snapped, louder than I intended. “She’s burning up and nothing I’ve done is working. I couldn’t wait in that damn cabin while she faded away in my arms!”

He opened his mouth to respond but stopped, the fire in his eyes dimming just a little. Still, his jaw clenched. “I’ve been protecting you both for years. I kept you away from them for a reason.”

“And I’m grateful,” I said, my voice shaking now. “But I’m a mother first. She needed help, and I couldn’t sit there and pray for you to walk through the door in time.”

Kaelen exhaled hard, dragging a hand down his face. His shoulders are heavy with the weight of it all. For a moment, the mask of the Alpha slipped, and all I could see was the fear of a terrified father.

“You should’ve told me sooner,” he muttered.

“I shouldn’t have had to choose between her life and your secrets,” I whispered. He looked at me again—looked. And whatever argument still burned in him died quietly.

Then, without another word, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around us both, holding us close as if trying to shield us from everything.

“We’re taking her to the healer,” he said against my temple. 

“Now.”